Take-up device



Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAKE-UP DEVICE William H. Atkisson, Monrovia, Calif.

Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,410

2"Claims. 1-.

This invention has to do generally with work take-upor clamping devices, and is directed particularly to improvements in clamp-like devices usable to take upor tighten a flexible member about the work or'load', and to securely retain the member in successive tightened conditions.

My major object is toprovide a novel and effective device whereby a work-surrounding member may be tightened through successive intervals or stages, and retained in its tightened condition between such intervals, allin a manner avoiding interference with each tightening manipulation.

structurally the invention contemplates a take-up assembly comprising a pair of sections relatively movable to tensionor shorten the aforesaid member about the work, and an associated holding element engageable with the member to retain its tightenedcondition between successive operations.

The take-up action may be accomplished. usinga structure of the general type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 617,041, filed September 18, 1945, on Clamp and Take-Up, now abandoned, employing a pair of pivoted sections one having a lever handle and the other carrying a part engageable with the flexible member to tension the latter as the sections are moved by operation of the leverhandle. In accordance with the present invention, a holding element is pivotally associated with the take-up parts, so as to be movable into and out of retaining engagement with the flexible member between successive operations of the tensioning parts.

The invention contemplates various additional objects and details having to do with such features as the interfitting and pivotal relation of the parts, and particularly their adaptability for connection with a chain form of flexible member. All these will be understood to better advantage from the following description of an illustrative embodiment shown by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View showing the take-up device in side elevation;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary enlarged elevations showing the positions of the parts in successivestages of the take-up action; and

Fig. 4 is a plan section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 4, the device is shown to comprise what may be termed a body section it, the forward extent of which is bifurcated to form the transversely spaced arms H.

At its oppositev end, the body carries an appropriate means for attachment to a flexible workencircling member; for example, a hook I 2. engageable with one end of a chain l3 which, as will be understood, may be placed about a load to be retained, as on a truck, by application-and tensioning of the encircling chain.' The device has a handle section M, the forward bifurcated end offset portion I5 of which is received within the bifurcated end Ii of the body and pivotally attached thereto at t6. By virtue of their offset and interfitting, bifurcated end: relation, the body and handle sections are movable into the substantially parallel positions shown in Fig. l.

A hook arm I! received within a pivot connected at It to the bifurcated en'dv portion l5 of the handle section, projects forwardly to be encircled, within one of the chain links. As will be apparent, by swinging the handle section upwardly to the position of Fig; 2"and then engag-' ing the hook arm I l with the chain, the latter may be tightened about the load upon bringing,

the handle section down and returning the parts to the positions of Fig. 1, as a result of which the hook and chain end are moved longitudinally of the device a distance corresponding to the axial throw of the pivot connection IS.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the retention of the chain in its successive tightening manipulations of the handle section and hook I! as described. Such retention of the chain is effected by a U-shaped holding element 19, the arms 20 of which are pivotally connected to the body section In, as by accommodating the turned ends 2| of the arms within openings 22 in bracket plates 23 carried by the body section arms ll The holding element [9 has at its free end a claw 24 engageable with the links of the chain I3 to hold the chain tension. The holding element is accommodated to the action of the hook IT, as later described, in its pulling action on the chain, by providing arms 20 with hinges at 25, so that the element in eifect becomes longitudinally flexible.

In connection with the operation of the device,

assume the handle section M to be swung'forwardly and hook I lengaged with the chain as shown in Fig. 2. The holding element l9 may assume the illustrated position from application to the chain in retaining a previously tightened condition. As the handle section is swung toward the body, the hook I rises, as illustrated by the intermediate progression of Fig. 3, while moving rearwardly to tighten the chain. The resultant shortening of the distance between the claw 24 and the pivot'locations 2| causes the holdin element to buckle at the hinges 25 progressively as the hook I! is carried throughout its range of tightening movement. Thereafter, with the body and handle sections restored to the position of Fig. 1, the holding element l9 may be distended and the claw 2A engaged with the chain to retain its tightened condition either permanently, or while the hook I! is being re-engaged with the chain for a successive tightening operation.

I claim:

1. A take-up device of the character described, comprising a body section adapted to extend alongside a work unit and attachable to one end of a chain extending about the work, said body having a first side adapted to face the work, a handle section connected to the body for swinging movement at a second side thereof opposite said first side, a hook pivotally connected to the handle section and engageable with an opposite end of the chain, said hook being movable longitudinally of the body to tighten said chain about the work by swinging the handle along said second side of the body, and a holding claw pivotally attached to the body and engageable with successive lengths of the chain to hold the chain in tightened condition about the work between successive tightening operations of said hook, said claw having a hinge joint intermediate its ends at which the claw flexes during a tightening operation, said hinge joint of the claw being received in a first normal position in the extended condition of the claw, said hinge joint being movable upon flexure of the claw during a tightening operation outwardly away from the work and beyond the chain to a location at the side of said normal position and the chain corresponding to said second side of the body, said hook and the handle section being positioned during a tightening operation out of the path which the hinge joint and other portions of the claw, while the claw is connected to the chain, follow in moving away from the work and outwardly beyond the chain.

2. A take-up device of the character described, comprising a body section adapted to extend alongside a work unit and attachable to one end of a chain extending about the work, said body having a first side adapted to face the work, a handle section connected to the body for swinging movement at a second side thereof opposite said first side, a hook pivotally connected to the handle section and engageable with an opposite end of the chain, said hook being movable longitudinally of the body to tighten said chain about the work by swinging the handle along said second side of the body, and a holding claw pivotally attached to the body and engageable with successive lengths of the chain to hold the chain in tightened condition about the work between successive tightening operations of said hook, said claw including *two parallel arms each having a hinge joint intermediate its ends at which the claw flexes outwardly away from the work during a tightening operation, said two arms of the claw being laterally offset to the opposite sides of said hook and the handle section to thereby permit movement of the hinge joints outwardly away from the work during a tightening operation.

WILLIAM H. ATKISSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 858,240 Werner June 25, 1907 1,031,508 Ashworth July 2, 1912 1,758,831 Haubert May 13, 1930 2,049,710 Livingston Aug. 4, 1936 2,179,177 Evans Nov. 7, 1939 

